Game



April 17, 1928. 1,666,718

E. J. PLAYFOOT GAME Filed March 8. 1927 gnwntoa Patented Apr. 17, 1928.

EDWARD J. PLAYFOOT, or GALETON, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAME. v

Application filed March a, 1927 Serial No. 173,739.

This invention relates to games and has special reference to a game having for its purpose a competition in strength and skill.

Preferably the game is painted in the three colors red, White and blue and is to be called The Flag Game.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved game apparatus adapted for use, preferably in the en air, for the testing of the strength and s ill of the players. v

Asecond important object of the invention is to provide a device of this character of improved nature and which may be set up in any place suitable to provide a strengt and skill testing game adapted to be played by two persons with an umpire judging the play if desired. I

With the above and other objects in view as will be hereinafter ap arent, the invention consists in general 0 certain novel details of construction and combinations" of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically claimed. I

In the accompanying drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and: I

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device with the distance between the terminal posts much shortened in the proportions in order to show the details to a large scale.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

In carrying out this invention there is provided a pair of posts or standards 10 which are preferably set in the ground one hundred feet apart. Centrally between these posts or standards there is set a hoop 11 which is supported on a pair of legs 12 also driven into the ground. Adjacent the tops of the standards 10 and spaced one above the other are a pair of wires 13 which are tightly tensioned-between the posts, these posts beingbraced so that they cannot move toward each other by means of braces 14 connected to a third wire 15 extending between the posts on the surface of the ground, this third wire serving to maintain the braces in alignment.

Through each post 10 slides a pair of rods 16 which are provided on one end with a head 17 surrounding the wire 13 and slidable thereon. The other ends of these rods 16 are fixed to' a striker head 18 and between the head 18 and the post 10 the rods 16 are surrounded by coiled springs 19. It will be seen that the rodsl6 of onezpost lie about 1 and below'the upper wire 13 while the rods 16 of the other post lie above and below the lower wire 13. Slidable on each of these wires 13 is a ball 20 which is so positioned'on the wire that a blow struck on the head 18 will'drive the head 17 against the ball 21, and force it toward the opposite end of the respective wire 13. Slidable also oneach wire 13 is a second ball 21 which is more remotely positioned on the wire than the re- 9 wire at this opposite end. Spaced between the bell 22 and the hoop 11 are a series of tallyposts 23 carrying consecutively numfrom uitable hammers or mallets 25 are providedfor strikbers 24, preferably numbers runnin 1 up on each side of the hoop 11.

ingthe heads 18. 11 playing the game the umpire places th two balls 21 within thelimits of the hoop 11, the balls being thus centered on the wires 13'. The balls'20 are now placed by the players a ainst the heads 17 and each player'stri es the respective head 18 at his end of the device with his mallet 25. If the head 18 be struck with skill the mallet 25 will tend to drive the head 18 and connected parts in a straight line along the respective wire 13. Thus the force of the blow will be transmitted directly to the ball 20. However, if the blow be not struck properly on the head 18 but at an angle to the axisof the head 18 and its connections then part of the force will be wasted so that it requires skill as well as strength to play the game. Assuming that'the players each strike a fair blow on the respective head 18 the balls 20 will be forced toward the balls 21 in accordance with the force with which the blow is struck. These balls will move along the Wires 13 and strike the balls 21 which will then be forced toward the respective bells 22. If the blow be sufficiently hard the balls 21 will strike the bells 22 but if the. blow is not of sufiicient force the balls 21 will move along the wire and stop opposite or near a tally post. The umpire judges by the position of the balls which player has'struck the most skillful and forceful blow. The game maybe played by either each player taking a single stroke or each playermay have several turns and the total force of these turns as measured by the movement of the balls 21 along their wires may determine the winner.

The game is thus not nly one of skill and strength but also provides for exercise of the muscles due to the, necessity of using the mallets with considerable force.

There has thus been provided a simple and efiicient device oi. the kind described and for I the purpose specified.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made inthe form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, therefore, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed. I

Havingtlius described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. In a device'oi' the kind described, a pair of spaced posts, guide men'ibers extending between said posts, a spring retracted impeller mounted slidably on each post, in alignment with the respective guide mom bers and adapted to receive'blows from a mallet,- balls movable along said members and movable to engage the respective impellers, and other balls movable along said members and positioned to be struck by the first balls upon the latter being actuated by the impellers.

2. In a device of the kind described, a pair of spaced posts, guide members extending between said posts, a spring retracted impellerimounted slidably on each post, in alignment with the respective guide members and adapted to receive blows from a mallet, balls movable along said members and'i'novable to' engage the respective impellers, other balls movable along said members and positioned to be struck by the first ball upon the latter being actuated by the I 45 impellers, and tally posts spaced along said members and bearing value numbers,

3. In a device of the kind described, a pair of spaced posts, guide members extending between said posts, a spring retracted impeller mounted slidably on each post, in alignment with the respective guide members and adapted to receive blows from a mallet,

balls movable along said members and movable to engage the respective impellars, other balls movable along said membersnud positioned to be struck by the first'ball upon the latter being actuated byt'he impellers, tally posts spaced along said members and bearing value numbers, a center indicator between the posts and constituting a guide for initially positioning the second halls, and signal bells at the ends of the paths of movement of said second balls.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

EDWARD J. PLArFooT. 

